Curriculum Development

The curriculum development team helps faculty create and revise courses and programs to ensure the best student learning experience. We guide instructors through the program and curriculum development and renewal process, resulting in purposeful and positive change.

Curriculum development

Curriculum refers to the principle-driven actions and processes that guide and foster significant learning experiences. Curriculum development is a planned, thoughtful and deliberate course of actions that ultimately enhance the quality and impact of the learning experience for students.

It includes the development and organization of learning activities designed to meet intended learning outcomes. It also involves the thoughtful assessment of those learning outcomes. The ultimate goal of curriculum is to enhance the quality and impact of the teaching and learning experience.

Whether designing a course or a program of studies, there are a number of things that must be considered to create meaningful learning experiences. Curriculum development moves beyond a content-centred approach to one that considers the relationship between the course/program learning outcomes, assessment of those outcomes, and the activities and opportunities designed to facilitate student learning. In designing a course or program, developers need to consider:

  • Outcomes: What should the learner know and be able to do at the end of this course/program?
  • Assessment: How will learners and teachers know if the learning outcomes have been accomplished?
  • Activities: What needs to be done to achieve the learning outcomes?

Leading practices

In January 2012, Camosun College’s Senior Educational Leadership endorsed the Leading Practices in Curriculum framework. This framework is intended to inform future curriculum design, development, and implementation and is based on the premise that the ultimate goal of curriculum is to enhance the quality and impact of the teaching and learning experience.

The framework for leading practices in curriculum is the result of a collaborative process that included staff, faculty and administrators as well as a review of the literature. It clearly articulates Camosun’s vision for curriculum design and development and identifies the institution’s foundational beliefs and values as they pertain to education. 

 Download Leading Practices in Curriculum

Sample documents

This sample document outlines the program curriculum, including underlying philosophy, program and course descriptions and learning outcomes, and pathways for students.

  • Adventure Education: This new post-degree program was developed by faculty in the Centre for Sport and Exercise Education. PDF